Many facilities have protocols in place to comply with health, safety, insurance, and regulatory requirements. In large facilities, such as factories and hospitals, there may be a large number of people, equipment, areas, and other resources to keep track of in the enforcement of protocols. In addition to the large number, there are also many different types of people, equipment, areas, and resources. Each of the different types of people, equipment, areas, and resources may have different types of protocols associated with them.
For example, there may be specific areas or zones where only qualified personal are permitted. In factories, these protected zones may be hazardous zones where dangerous equipment or chemicals are used and only qualified personal with appropriate safety gear are permitted. The level of qualification for a zone may range from requiring a hard-hat when in the zone to requiring a protective suit and respirator when in the zone. Factories may also have other zones such a clean rooms and secure rooms where certain procedures must be observed and require specific training or security clearance for admittance.
Hospitals can include even more permutations as hospitals have to deal with both employees and non-employees, and may require the enforcement of several different types of protocols. At any given time, in addition to the medical professionals, administrative staff, and janitorial staff, there are a number of patients, visitors, consultants, contractors, and the like, in the hospital. Each of these individuals may have different protocol requirements associated with them. Hospitals may also have several areas with specific protocol requirements, such as for example, patients' rooms, laboratories, surgical theaters, clean rooms, intensive care areas, quarantined areas, radiology, record rooms, administrative offices, data and security centers, medical supply rooms. Each of these areas may require a different protocol. Hospitals may also require use of temporary or non-permanent protocols. For example, a protection protocol may be required for specific patient or piece of equipment. A patient or bed holding a patient may be designated as contagious. Thus, only appropriately qualified and equipped medical professionals should be allowed in proximity of the patient or bed. Other protocols may be generic to a type of person or area.
Enforcement of even simple protocols may be difficult when dealing with a large busy location such as a hospital. An example of one such protocol in a hospital is a hand hygiene or hand washing protocol. Studies have indicated that proper adherence to hand hygiene protocols can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates caused by hospital acquired infections. However, enforcement of the behaviors specified in hand hygiene protocols can be difficult in a hospital due to the large number of individuals requiring monitoring and the generally busy fast-paced operating environment.
Accordingly, a system is needed that can encourage compliance with protocols and can also document behavior and enforce protocols associated with areas or individuals and can be configured as necessary based on the area or individuals involved.